Sheet-feeding machine.



RfMEREDITH.

SHEET FEEDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26. 191B.

1 ,32 1 ,659. Patented Nov. 11, 1919.

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R. MEREDITH.

SHEET FEEDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26. 91s.

Patented Nov. 11,1919.

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SJ nvewlioz LLLl R. MEREDITH.

SHEET resume momma.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26.1918.

R. MEREDITH.

SHEET FEEDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION nuzu JUNE 26. ms.

Patented Nov. 11, 1919.

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R. MEREDITH SHEET. FEEDING MACHINE. APPLICATION "FILED JUNE 26. I918.

Patented Nov. 11 1919.

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SHEET FEEDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26. 1918.

1,321,659. Patented Nov. 11, 1919.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- ROSS MEREDITH, OF SPRING VALLEY, NEW YORK, ASSIG-NOR TO DEXTER FOLDER COMPANY, OF PEARL RIVER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION NEW YORK.

SHEET-FEEDING MACHINE.

Specification ot'Letters Patent.

Application filed June 26, 1918. Serial No. 241,982.

' To all whom it may concern Feeding Machines, of which the following is a full and clear specification.

This invention relates to sheet feeding machines and has for its primary object to provide feeding mechanism of improved construction for separating the sheets one by one from a pile and presenting them to suitable feed-ing-ofi'. devices. One of'the objects of the present invention is to provide improved sheet-buckling means which varies its action depending upon the thickness of the pile and more especially upon the amount of displacement due to buckling which is necessary to bring a portion of each sheet into position to be engaged by a sucker which lifts. the sheet and presents it to the feeding-devices. Another object is to provide improved sheet actuated means for controlling the sheet-buckling means. Other and further objects will appear in the specification and "be pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings which exemplify my invention in a preferred embodiment.

In the drawings,-

Figure 1 is a plan view of a feeding machine embodying my improvements;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a side elevation taken from the right side of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line IVIV, Fig. 1, parts being shown in elevatlon;

Fig. 5 is a central vertical section similar to Fig. 4, showing some of the parts in different positions;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section on an enlarged scale, of portions shown in Figs. 4 and 5, parts being broken away and parts shown in elevation;

shown in section.

Fi 7 is a fragmentary top plan view of the rent pile gage, a portion of the upper flange being broken away and the contiguoils portion of the front gage plate belng According to the embodiment of my invention shown on the drawings, a plural ty of feed-tapes l pass around 'a roller 2 which 56 is keyed to a cross slmft 3, this shaft being for convenience termed the feed shaft. As shown n Fig. 3, a lever 4 oscillates about the axis of feed shaft 3 and carries at its upper end a stud 5 which pivotally mounts a pawl 6 which is adapted to engage the teeth of a ratchet 7 which is keyed to the shaft 3.: The lower arm of the lever 4 carhes a pm or stud 8 which extends through a slot 9 extending longitudinally of a connecting rod 10, saidconnecting rod being adapted to actuate the lever 4 only when the end of said slot positively engages the stud 8. The forward end of the connecting rod 10 is pivotally connected to a pin 11 mounted eccentrically on a crank disk 12 WhlCh is keyed tothe shaft 13. It will be seen from this description that as the cam shaft 13 rotates, the crank pin 11 reciprocates the rod 10 and under certain conditions to be hereinafter referred to, oscillates the lever 4' on the shaft 3. Spring rod 14 which 1s plvotally connected at its rear end to the stud 5, carries an abutment .15 between which and a bearing 16 within which the rear end of the spring rod- 14: reciprocates, is disposed a spring 17 which surrounds the rod- 14 and imparts thereto. a tendency to force the pin 8 into positive engagement with the right end of the slot 9 of the rod 10. However, this tendency is normally overcome by a latch 18 which pivots on a pm 19 carried by an arm 20 of the frame. Said latch is provided with a forwardly presented arm 21 which extends below a pin 22 which projects laterally from the rear arm 23 of a lever which is pivoted at 24 on one of the said brackets which surmount the main frame. A spring 25 is connected at its upper end to the arm 23, and at its lower end to the frame, imparting a tendency to move the arm 23 downwardly into engagement with the arm '21 ofthe latch 18. The forwardly presented arm 26 of said lever, however, extends under a pin 27 carried by a cam rod 28 which has its upper end pivoted to a stud 29 connected by a lever arm 30 which oscillates about the axis of a shaft 31. The forward end of the lever arm 30 has connected thereto the upper end of a spring 32, the lower end of said spring being attached to a projection 33 of the main frame. A cam roller '34 which is journaled on the cross head 35 carried by the lower end of the cam rod 28, runs upon a cam 36 which is keyed to the cam shaft-13. The

cross head 35 is bifurcated to straddle the cam shaft 13 and is thereby held against displacement. As the shaft 31 is oscillated on its axis by the cam 36, it serves to oscillate a pair of tlever arms 37 which are keyed to the shaft 31 on opposite sides of the machine. These lever arms 37 are pivotally connected at 38 to links 39. The forward ends of the links 39 are pivoted at 40 to laterally spaced side bars 41, each side bar being provided with a longitudinal slot 42 by means of which said side bar is reciprocably and oscillatably mounted on a in 48. This construction is shown best in 1g. 6. Also pivoted to thestud 40 is a spring rod 45 which is provided with a spring 44 interposed between an abutment 46 and a projection 47 on the boss 48 of the lever arm 37. It will be understood from this description that the spring 44 tends to elevate the rear end of each of the side bars 41. The rear ends of the side bars 41 are rigidly connected to a pneumatic tube 49,

' said tube being provided in its lower wall with a plurality of ports or openings 50 by means of which a plurality of suckers 51 are placed in open communication wlththe suction chamber 52 of the tube 49 at such times as theplugs 53 are in the position shown in Fig. 6. Each of the plugs or valves 53 are provided with a threaded stem 54. which'holds the valve in any adjusted position by means of a nut 55. Whenevei the sheets are so narrow in width as not to extend under all of the suckers 51, the plugs or valves 53 are screwed down into position to close the ports50 of those suckers which are not being used. Projecting rearwardly from opposite ends of-the suction tube 49 are bifurcated lugs 56 which carry pins 57 on which are pivotally mounted arms or links 58 rovided with flattened portions 59 which are adapted to abutagainst the adja-' cent walls of the lugs 56 for the purpose of limiting the downward displacement of the arms 58. J ournaled in the outer ends of the arms 58 isa shaft 60 to which is keyed the laterally spaced friction wheels 61. As

shownin Fig. 1, the shaft 60 carries a spring 62 which is connected at opposite ends to a collar 63 fixed to the shaft 60 and the outer end of one of the arms 58. Keyed t the shaft 60 is a crank arm 64 which is piv tally connected by a pin 65 to the lower end of a connecting rod 66, the upper end of'said rod beingipivoted on a pin 67 by an overhanging or rearwardly projecting bracket 68 which may be secured to the suction tube 49 in any suitable manner. The

outer end of bracket 68 is provided with ratchet teeth 69 which coiiperate with a pawl 70 which is pivotally mounted on a stud 71 carried by the rear end of a lug or projection 72 which projects from the suction tube 49. Said pawl 70 is provided wheels 61 have been brought into engage.

ment with the top sheet of the pile 74. In consequence the friction wheels 61 begin to be elevated by this pressure durin which the shaft 60 is being moved toward t e pivot 67 in the bracket 68. As the wheels 61 are displaced upwardly, the shaft 60 approaches the bracket 68, so that the crank arm 64 1s pushed downwardly and imparts a clockwise rotation to the friction wheels 61. This in turn imparts a buckling movement to the top sheet of the pile and moves it upwa 'dly into position to close the suckers 51 which thereupon grip the sheet. It will be understood from the foregoing description that depending upon the distance covered by the buckled portion of'the sheet in its upward movement, the pawl 70 will be moved into engagement with the ratchet 69 at a lower or a higher point in said ratchet. As soon as the pawl 70 engages the ratchet 69, the upward displacement of thewheels 61 relatively to the suction tube 49 is terminated and in turn ends the buckling movement of the wheels 61. Thus, if

in Figs. 3 and5, is a suction pipe 75 which extends downwardly as shown in dotted hnes 1n Flg. 3, and connects up with a shetlon chamber 76 which is open at its upper end but adapted to be closed by a cover or valve 77, said valve or cover being provided with an arm 78 which is normally held dpwnwardly by a spring 79. The valve or cover 77 iscarried by the rear arm of the cam lever 80 which is pivotally mounted ona stud 8l carried by a depending bracket 82. .The forward arm of said lever carries a pm 83 which journals a cam roller 84 which runson a cam 85 for opening and clos ng the valve or cover 77 at certain periodical intervals. The cam 85 is keyed to the cam shaft 13. The cam 86 which is also keyed to'the cam shaft 13 actuates a cam lever. 87 which is keyed to a rock shaft 88. Said rock shaft carries the drop roller arms 89 in which the drop rollers 90 are ournaled to cotiperate with the lower feed rolls 91 keyed to the shaft 92. Referring now to Figs. 4 and 5, a blast pipe 93 extends upwardly and connects with a transverse tube 94 which is provided with a plurality of discharge ports or openings 95 (see Fig. 7) opening upwardly through the lower flange 96 of a channeled front stacking gage comprising the relatively broad lower flange 96, a vertically disposed gage plate 97, and

an upward retaining flange 98. As shown in Figs. 6 and 7, upwardly and forwardly presented guards 99 are mounted upon the upper flange 98 for a purpose to be hereinafter explained. The upper runs of thebe seen therefore that at every movement of the feed shaft 3, the feed belts 1 and 103 will be moved a short distance in a forward direction. Laterally spaced bracket arms 104: serve to mount a transverse rod 105 to which is pivotally connected a rod 106 along .which is adjustable the block or carriage 107. A rod or shaft. 108 carried by the block or carriage 107 serves to journal a pair of spaced rollers 109 which bear upon the pile of sheets adjacent to the forward end of the rear feed belt 1. Means for gaging the thickness of the pile adjacent the front gage are provided as follows:

Referring to Fig. 6, a roller'110 is journaled on the outer end of an arm 111 which is keyed to a cross shaft 24 which carries the lever 23 referred to above. It will be seen that as the roller 110 drops downwardly, it permits the rearwardly extending arm of the lever 23 to come into engagement with the arm 21 of the latch 18. When this occurs, the next revolution of the pin 11 by exerting a suflicient pressure on the stud 8, slightly compresses the spring 17 and thus releases the latch 18 to the lever 23. Lever 23 is thereupon pulled downwardly by the spring 25, the latch 18 is raised and as soon as the bar 10 has moved toward the right again, the s ring 17 forces the lever 4 in a counter-c100 wise direction and thus moves the pawl 6 in the same direction around the ratchet 7, so that the next movement of the rod 10 toward the left, rotates the ratchet 7 the distance of one tooth. This movement is repeated as long as the thickness of the pile is less than it should be.

I claim q 1. In a sheet-feeding machine, a sheet gripper, sheet-feeding means movable relatively to said gripper, and 'means operated by the relative movement between saidgripper and sheet-feeding means for imparting a sheet-feeding movement to said sheet-feeding means.

2. In a sheet-feeding machine, a sheet gripper, sheet-feeding means movable relatively to said gripper, means operated by the relative movement between said gripper and sheet-feeding means for imparting a sheet-feeding movement to said sheet-feeding means and sheet-actuated means for terminating the sheet-displacing movement of the sheet-feeding means.

3. In a sheet-feeding machine, a support, sheet-engaging means carried by said support, sheet-buckling means movably mounted on said support, and means operated by the movement of said support relative to said sheet-buckling means for imparting a sheet-buckling movement to said sheet-buckling means.

1. In a sheet-feeding machine, a support, sheet-engaging means carried by said support, sheet-buckling means movably mounted on said support, and means operated by the movement of said support relative to said sheetbuckling means for imparting a sheet-buckling movement to said sheet-buckling means, said support being movable into and out of position in which a sheet which is buckled by said sheet-buckling means will be engaged by said sheet-engaging means.

5. Ina sheet-feeding machine, a support, sheet-engaging means carried by said support, sheet-buckling means. movably mounted on said support, means operated by the movement of said support relative to said sheet-buckling means for imparting'a sheetbuckling movement to said sheet-buckling means, and sheet-actuated means for ter minating the operation of said sheet-buckling means.

6. In a sheet-feeding machine, a support, sheet-engaging means carried by said support, sheet-buckling means movably mounted on said support, and means operated by the movement of said support relative to said sheet-buckling means for imparting a sheet-buckling movement to said sheet-buckling means, said sheet-buckling means being movable relative to said support by engagement with a pile of sheets.

7. In a sheet-feeding machine, asucker movable toward and away from a pile of of the pile by the movement of said sucker, means operated by the relative movement between said sucker and gripper for moving said gripper to buckle said top sheet, and sheet-controlled means interacting between said sucker and gripper for terminating said buckling movement.

9. In a sheet-feeding machine, a sucker movable toward and away from a pile of sheets, a frictional gripper movably connected to said sucker, said gripper being brought into engagement with the top sheet of the pile by the movement of said sucker, means operated by the relative movement between said sucker and gripper for moving said gripper to buckle said top sheet, and sheet-controlled means interacting between said sucker and gripper for terminating said buckling movement, said sheet-controlled means including cooperative pawl and ratchet elements adapted to interrupt the relative movements between pawl and ratchet at different relative positions of the gripper and sucker. 1

10. In a sheet-feeding machine, a sucker, means for moving said sucker toward and away from a pile of sheets, an arm articulately comiected with said sucker, a sheetbuckling gripper movably mounted on said arm, and means operated by the movement of said sucker with respect to the arm for moving said sheet-buckling gripper on said arm.

11. In a sheet-feeding machine, a sucker, means for moving said sucker toward and away from a pile of sheets, an arm artlcu lately connected with said,sucker, a sheetbuckling gripper movably mounted on said arm, and means operated by the movement of said sucker with respect to the arm for moving said sheet-buckling gripper on said arm, said gripper moving means including a part which partakes of the movements of said sucker, a part which partakes of the movements of the sheet-buckling gripper relatively to said sucker, and means connecting said parts and operating to produce a buckling movement of said gripper by means of the movement of said sucker. relatively to said buckler.

12. In a sheet-feeding machine, a sheetengaging sucker suitably'mounted to move toward and away from a pile of sheets, an arm pivotally connected tosaid sucker, a friction roll journaled in said arm, a crank arm for said friction roll and a connecting rod connecting a part connected to said sucker and said crank arm, said rod being adapted to impart a buckling movement to a sheet when said pivotally mounted arm is swung about its pivot.

13. In a sheet-feeding machine, a sheetengaging sucker suitably mounted to move towardand away from a pile of sheets, an arm pivotally connected to said sucker, a

friction roll journaled in said arm, a crank arm for said friction roll, a connecting rod connecting a part connected to said sucker and said crank arm, said rod being adapted to impart a buckling movement to a sheet when said pivotally mounted arm is swung about its pivot, and sheet-actuated means for controlling the extent of the sheetbuckling movement.

14. In a sheet-feeding machine, a sucker movable toward and away from a pile of sheets, a bracket extending from said sucker, said bracket being provided with ratchet teeth, an arm pivotally connected to said sucker, a sheet-buckling roll journaled in said pivotally connected arm, said roll being provided with a crank arm, a rod pivotally connected at opposite ends to said crank arm and bracket respectively, and a sheetactuated pawl pivotally mounted on said pivotall connected arm and adapted to engage said ratchet.

1'5. In a sheet-feeding machine, a sucker movable toward and away from a pile of sheets, a bracket extending from said sucker, said-bracket being provided with ratchet teeth, an arm pivotally connected to said sucker, a sheet-buckling roll journaled in said pivotally connected arm, said roll being provided with a crank arm, a rod pivotally connected at opposite ends to said crank arm and bracket respectively, and a sheetactuated pawl pivotally mounted on said pivotally connected arm and adapted to engage said ratchet, said sucker having a combined-swinging and reciprocable movement for conveying the top sheet of a pile to a feeding-off mechanism.

16. In a sheet-feeding machine, a suction tube extending above a pile of sheets and provided with a plurality of suckers communicating therewith by separate ports or openings, means for opening and closing each of said ports or openings independently of the others, means for moving said suction tube toward and away from the pile of sheets, and means operated by such movement, for buckling a sheet into position to be engaged by such of said suckers as may be active.

17 In a sheet-feeding machine, a suction tube extending above a pile of sheets and provided with a plurality of suckers communicating therewith by separate ports or openings, means for opening and closing each of said ports or openings independently of the others, means for moving said suction tube toward and away from the pile of sheets, and means operated by such movement for buckling a sheet into position to be engaged by such of said suckers as may be active, said buckling means including a shaft journaled on one axis and mounted to swing about another axis, friction rolls keyed to said shaft, a bracket mounted on said tube, a crank arm keyed to said'shaft, a rod having its ends pivotally connected to said bracket and crank armrespectively, and sheet-actuated means for limiting the swinging movement of said shaft. 4

18. In a sheet-feeding machine, a suction tube extending above a pile of sheets and provided with a plurality of suckers communicating therewith by separate ports or openings, means for opening and closing each of said ports or openings independently of the others, means for moving said suetion tube toward and away from the pile of sheets, and meansoperated by such movement for buckling a sheet" into position to be engaged by such of said suckers as may be active, said buckling means including a shaft journaled on one axis and mounted to swing about another axis, friction rolls keyed to said shaft, a bracket mounted on said tube, a crank arm keyed to said shaft, a rod having its ends pivotally, connected to said bracket and crank arm respectively, and sheet-actuated means for limiting the swinging movement of said shaft, said sheet-actuated means comprisin a pawl pivoted on a part which parta es of the swinging movement'of said shaft and having arms respectively adapted to be engaged by a buckled sheet and to engage said bracket to determinate the swinging movement of said shaft.

19. In a sheet-feeding machine, a front stacking gage for a pile of sheets provided with an air blast for separating the forward edges of the sheets, a sheet-engaging sucker movable into and out of position adjacent said pile, means operated by the movement of said sucker for buckling the top sheet of the pile into position .to be engaged by said sucker, and means controlled by the buckled portion of said sheet for limiting the period of sheet-buckling action. J

20. In'a sheet-feeding machine, a front.

sucker, and means controlled by the buckled portion of said sheet for limiting the period of sheet-buckling action, said stacking gage comprising a channel bar presented with its opening toward the pile of sheets and with air blast openings in its lower flange.

21. In a sheet-feeding machine, a front stacking gage for a pile of sheets provided with an air blast for separating the forward edges of the sheets, a sheet-engaging sucker movable into and out of position adjacent said pile, means operated 'by the movement of said sucker for buckling the top sheet of the pile into position to be engaged by said sucker, means controlled by the buckled ortion of said sheet for limiting the peri of sheet-buckling action, feed and drop rolls cooperating in a plane above said stacking gage, and means for moving said sucker from sheet-engaging position to a position to present the forward edge of a sheet to said rolls.

' ROSS MEREDITH. 

